beginner in need of help!

age; 21
wieght;220

hi i just started in the gym again after after a 3 month layoff whats the best routine to burn fat and gain muscle and also which are better to use bumbells or bench wieghts. i am looking for more of an atheletic build

The best routine is a good diet that consists of foods that help boost your metabolism. Followed by 4-5x cardio at a moderate pace or interval training. Then hit the weights to stimulate muscle growth. Followed by a diet that supports growth and maintenance.

It's better to use free weights for most things. A combination of dumbbells and barbells is best.

Make sure you work legs if you want a good athletic build.

Take some time to look around in the:

Nutrition forum
Training forum

You'll find a wealth of information there. There's no golden diet and no golden training program that will just work for everybody. Take some time to see what others are doing and what might work with your goals and your time constraints.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com